Friday, September 26, 2014

BRUNEI stands united with the international community in combating terrorism in all its forms and rejects extremism, and supports all regional and international efforts in countering terrorism, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam said yesterday.

His Majesty was speaking at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly General Debate Session at the UN Headquarters Building in New York.

In his titah at the UN General Assembly, His Majesty said that Brunei has participated in UN peacekeeping, specifically UNIFIL, and other international peace monitoring missions in southern Philippines.

“We are gravely concerned with security developments in many parts of the world where further escalation of conflicts can weaken the international community’s resolve and ability to achieve our world-wide initiatives.

“Whilst there is relative peace and stability in the world, developments over the past year have reminded us how complex security issues, turmoil and instability arising from human activities can hinder progress for long-term development,” the monarch said.

Therefore, His Majesty said, Brunei would continue to participate in global initiatives such as interfaith dialogues and dialogues amongst civilisations to promote understanding, tolerance and respect amongst world communities.

His Majesty urged nations to “take concerted action in resolving the wide-ranging problems further aggravated by the rapid pace of globalisation and inter-connectedness”.

“The overall outlook is further complicated by challenges that are global in nature such as the impact of climate change, extremism, and terrorism, as well as the serious repercussions of pandemic diseases,” His Majesty said.

In this regard, the monarch was pleased at the unanimous agreement on the importance of environmental protection, lauding the convening of the UN Climate Summit in galvanising support to address the impact of climate change, and in ensuring a dynamic and transformative post-2015 development agenda.

His Majesty also underscored the importance of strengthening UN capabilities in disaster management, taking into account the frequent recurrence and greater intensity of natural disasters in recent years.

The monarch made mention of Brunei’s role in hosting a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise amongst military personnel from Asia Pacific nations last year – the first of its kind under the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus process.

His Majesty emphasised that the fundamental principle of mutual respect and trust – putting aside differences, upholding the rule of law and justice, and promoting cooperation – should serve as the basis for resolving conflicts, so that all can enjoy continued peace and stability.

In his titah, His Majesty also highlighted the fast-approaching targeted timeline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), saying that Brunei was pleased to see the concerted global commitment and consensus to eradicate extreme poverty and further promote peace and sustainable development.

His Majesty welcomed the development agenda and its emphasis on the importance of human development which is inclusive, people-centred and sustainable.

“These elements are also integral to Brunei Darussalam’s National Vision 2035 which is dedicated to improving the welfare of our people and ensuring a high quality of life,” the monarch said.

However, His Majesty also stated that all efforts to realise the MDGs would be in vain, if at the same time, the world disregarded commitments to pursue peaceful means of settling disputes, as enshrined in the UN’s Charter.

“The potential escalation of disputes and threats to international peace and security has resulted in appalling human tragedies such as the downing of Flight MH17 and the current dire situation in Gaza,” the sovereign said.

On Palestine, His Majesty stressed that freedom and justice was long overdue.

“The endless suffering experienced by our Palestinian brothers and sisters is a stark example of how little our development goals mean if there is no peace and stability.

“(The Palestinian people) must be granted their basic rights to live in dignity and enjoy economic development,” he said, further expressing appreciation on the efforts of other countries which made the current ceasefire possible.

However, His Majesty was hopeful and confident that the UN’s adoption of the MDGs would ensure that generations to come would enjoy a secure and prosperous future.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

I was offered these two gold coins by my usual seller. He said that these were found among the treasure trove of Aceh gold coins. He was not sure where these coins originated from but he said they looked Greek or Roman. I am not sure either but I did buy these two gold coins from him. I am hoping there may be someone out there who can identify these two coins.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

These two were listed under British Bruney. For that reason alone, many buyers missed these two sets. In fact the seller had a third set which was made up of miniature sheet which I did not buy. The first lot was not expensive. It was only US$3 which I thought was a worthwhile buy considering the variety of the stamps. The second one I had to pay US$10, which I thought at first was a good buy because of the definitives set but when I looked at the set again, there is a stamp missing in the definitive set. Overall still a worthwhile buy and since these two came from the same seller, I only had to pay for one postage.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

This lot only cost me GBP1.41, cheap, but the postage will cost me GBP2.20. It is a good lot and I don't know why nobody wants to enter into the auction. The range is fairly wide and the used stamps are the 1947 varieties and after but overall it is not a bad collection of Brunei stamps for the price I paid for the lot. Not to complete any set but a nice filler nevertheless.

Monday, February 17, 2014

I paid US$116.39 for this lot of 1906 Labuan Overprints on eBay recently. I was quite surprised to get it at such a low price. I would have thought there would be more competitors when this item came up on eBay. A full set of mint Labuan Overprints is currently valued at around B$925. This lot even has one used one dated 1911. To me what makes it rare is that there are only 2,000 sets issued. So this complete lot is a very rare one of 2,000. This makes it my third complete set.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

This lot of mint 1952 Begawan Definitives cost me US$11.51 from an eBay seller in Hong Kong. According to Steven Tan's International Stamp & Coins Catalogue, this lot should be worth M$170 which is roughly around B$65. So US$11.51 is a good price and good value.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

I have been buying a number of used Brunei stamps lots on eBay over the last few months. I have all of these stamps but I keep on buying just to add to my stocks especially the used Brunei stamps. These are always valued higher. At A$14.80 this lot is a little bit higher than what I would have like to pay for them but they are worth the price given that they are mostly 1924 and before that. This one is from Queensland, Australia.